Hypertext Webster Gateway: "naphtha"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Naphtha \Naph"tha\, n. [L. naphtha, Gr. ?????, fr.Ar. nafth,
nifth.]
1. (Chem.) The complex mixture of volatile, liquid,
inflammable hydrocarbons, occurring naturally, and usually
called crude petroleum, mineral oil, or rock oil.
Specifically: That portion of the distillate obtained in
the refinement of petroleum which is intermediate between
the lighter gasoline and the heavier benzine, and has a
specific gravity of about 0.7, -- used as a solvent for
varnishes, as a carburetant, illuminant, etc.
2. (Chem.) One of several volatile inflammable liquids
obtained by the distillation of certain carbonaceous
materials and resembling the naphtha from petroleum; as,
Boghead naphtha, from Boghead coal (obtained at Boghead,
Scotland); crude naphtha, or light oil, from coal tar;
wood naphtha, from wood, etc.
Note: This term was applied by the earlier chemical writers
to a number of volatile, strong smelling, inflammable
liquids, chiefly belonging to the ethers, as the
sulphate, nitrate, or acetate of ethyl. --Watts.
{Naphtha vitrioli} [NL., naphtha of vitriol] (Old Chem.),
common ethyl ether; -- formerly called {sulphuric ether}.
See {Ether}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
naphtha
n : any of various volatile flammable liquid hydrocarbon
mixtures; used chiefly as solvents
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